Western Pygmy-Blue Butterfly 2009-09-040 Comments

Western Pygmy-Blue Butterfly- Brephidium exilis- L= 3/8". The smallest butterfly in North America with a wingspan just under a half of an inch. Pygmy-Blues are not blue in color and are instead varying shades of gray and brown. They are common throughout the southern United States, but are not often seen given their tiny size. This is one butterfly whose populations have probably increased greatly since the coming of man and the introduction of weeds (such as tumbleweed), which have been utilized to a great extent by the Pygmy Blue as larval foodplants.